Login to the PBX Graphical User Interface ("GUI")

Using another machine on your same network, open a web browser and enter the IP address of your PBX.

If you don't know the IP address of your PBX, go to the Linux console/command prompt. Login to the Linux console using the username "root" without quotes, and the root password you selected during installation. You will then be shown your IP address.

You will now be asked to create a user to log into FreePBX GUI. Press the Create Account when done.

On the main landing page select the PBX Administrator tab to log into FreePBX

Login with the username and password you just created.

Note: These passwords do not change the Root password used to login to the Linux command prompt! They are only used for access to the web interface.

Register your PBX

From here, you’ll be welcomed to your FreePBX and asked if you would like to activate your system. Activation is highly recommended, as it’s required to purchase Commercial Modules, Paid Support and SIPStation Trunking. To activate now, press the “Activate” button.

Enter in your email address that you use for the FreePBX Portal. Once you’ve entered your address, press the “Check” button.

If you do not have an account enter the email address you would like to use for logging into the FreePBX Portal and you will be directed to create an account.

The system will detect this address is tied to an existing Portal account and prompt you to enter your password. Once you have your password filled in, press the “Next” button.

You can then choose to edit or add your personal Portal information. When finished, press “Next.”

From here, you’ll be asked if this is a new activation. Since you don’t have an existing Deployment ID, then you’ll be looking at the first option, New Activation. All you need to do is give this deployment a "friendly" name to help you differentiate between your different systems when using the Portal to buy products. Then press the “Activate” button.

If you have a Deployment ID that is not tied to another PBX you can pick the Existing Deployment Option and provide that Deployment ID

You’ll notice the activation process is now installing and after about 5-10 seconds this process will be complete.

You will now be able to take part in special offers. We offer bundles that combine some of our most popular features that will save you money. Click on one of the “Buy” buttons to purchase your bundle of choice or press “Complete” to advance to the System Status screen of your PBX GUI.

Set a Static IP Address and Configure DNS

When FreePBX is first installed, it is configured to obtain an IP Address using DHCP. You'll need to assign your PBX a static IP address so that your phones will have a consistent internal IP address to use to contact it. The easiest way to give your PBX a static IP address is to configure your DHCP server to always assign your PBX the same IP address using a DHCP reservation. This ensures that if DHCP settings later change, such as changing DNS server settings, the PBX will get these new settings with all other DHCP clients. If that's not possible, you will need to configure your PBX to use a static IP and not use DHCP.

From FreePBX GUI Click Admin, and then System Admin Module on the left hand side of the screen, and then Network Settings, on the right hand side of the screen. You should now see a screen that looks like this:

To continue, input the new IP address into your web browser. Return to the System Admin Module (follow the instructions described above) and manually set your DNS Servers

Then go to the DNS section of the System Admin module and click DNS on the right hand side of the screen. You'll see a screen that looks like this:

The Distro installs DNSMASQ to ensure that your system maintains DNS even when the internet is down, and DNSMASQ won't work unless 127.0.0.1 is listed as your first DNS Server. The last two are Google's DNS servers. You can replace those two with your own, if you prefer.

Outgoing Email address: Enter the From address the fax module will use when sending received faxes, e.g. pbx@mydomain.com

Fax Options > Fax Feature Code Options

Email address: Enter the default destination e-mail address for received faxes so they can be manually routed by a human being, e.g. mainreception@mydomain.org

Submit

Apply Config

Settings > Voicemail Admin

Settings

fromstring: Enter the From address the voicemail module will use when sending out voicemail alerts, e.g. pbx@mydomain.com

pagerfromstring: Enter the From address the voicemail module will use when sending out voicemail alerts, e.g. pbx@mydomain.com

serveremail: Set the same as "fromstring"; not sure how this is different

Submit

Apply Config

There is additional configuration needed for some of the above components but the above is just the e-mail From and To configuration.

Consider the Paid Modules

The FreePBX Distro includes all of the modules you need to set-up a first class PBX. There are, however, some additional modules available that you may wish to purchase. You can find out more about the Paid Modules here: http://www.freepbx.org/commercial-modules

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4 Comments

Seems to me that if you are going to instruct new users to Configure Email Server using the System Admin Module, then the Email Setup part of that module ought to be part of the basic (free) functionality. Maybe it could be a stripped-down version that just lets people enter enough information to get outgoing email working, but that would be sufficient, and people wouldn't be confused when they go looking for that setting and can't find it. Just a suggestion.